Arts + Mindfulness

AWAKE is a powerful short film of South Asian music and expressive dance produced by Inner City Angels with arts partners Mariposa In The Schools and Kaeja d’Dance at Rose Ave PS ~ Directed by Bronson Allen

Wellbeing and Social Inclusion Concepts to Introduce In Your Arts Education Practice

Inclusion ~ in social justice inclusion gives equal importance to all living things including humans, animals, plants and even the oceans, places where we work, school, live and play. When we are included and include others this adds to our own personal sense of wellbeing.

Empathy ~ in psychology is that genuine understanding of another’s feelings. To be empathic is to be human…and yet we find today that even animals have empathy. Empathy may hurt for the moment but it is never a burden.

Mindfulness ~ in psychology is when we live consciously in a positive way. True mindfulness is when we live in the present, in the moment, not concerned with the past or future while we focus on what we call presence. It is also a calm acceptance of our thoughts and feelings in that given moment. Mindfulness contributes to our wellbeing because it calms us and reduces stress. It is often used as a therapeutic technique in yoga and meditation…or simply staying still conscious of our breath.

Resilience ~ in psychology resilience is that ineffable (i.e., too great to be expressed in words) quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Even after misfortune, resilient people are blessed with such an outlook that they are able to change course and soldier on. Think of your favourite athletes who sometimes lose at the most critical times and yet continue to return to the game to keep trying. Psychologists have identified some of the factors that make us resilient. They include a positive attitude, optimism, the ability to regulate our emotions, and the ability to see failure as a form of helpful feedback. We can build our resilience through yoga and meditation and by practicing mindfulness.

Balance and Harmony ~ Harmony is a condition that comes about when all the parts of our life are balanced with each other and with the world around you. But not everything is under our control, and to be in perfect balance and thus harmony may mean that we are not experiencing a lot of challenges in our life. To live a full life we need to experience the tension of being out of balance. Enjoying balance and harmony does not mean eliminating all our problems. It means the ability to distribute our energy appropriately to the inevitable conflicts of life. Harmony ensues when this is done in proportions that fit within our personal comfort zone, that will also broaden as we take on new problems of our own making.